“We’re reminding this booming industry to treat customers in a fair and transparent manner,” she says.

The ACCC is concerned some online dating services may be offering so called free trials which hide within the fine print that people are actually being signed up to an ongoing contract.

And some dating services are reported to be signing people up to long-term fixed contracts with onerous or restrictive cancellation clauses. Transparency or a lack of disclosure around automatic renewals is also a concern.

“If a free offer isn’t really free, pricing isn’t clear, or a contract is easy to sign up to but hard to get out of, then we will find it,” she says.

The ACCC will also be sweeping these sites to look at what measures they have in place to protect consumers against scammers, as part of its Scams Disruption Project.

Here’s what to look for on dating websites:

Read all the terms and conditions to make sure you know what you are signing up to and how much it will cost

Ask your friends if they have used the site before and whether they had a positive experience

Before signing check your options for cancelling the contract

Set reminders in your phone or diary to cancel your subscription to avoid your subscription inadvertently rolling over for a further term

Research and get to know the business. Conduct an internet search on the name of the company and verify any contact details

Examine the site and check for advice about safe online practices

If you are meeting someone you’ve met on a dating site make sure you meet in a public place and tell a friend of family member where you are going

Kow who you are dealing with on these sites. If you have never met a person you are interacting with face to face, you shouldn’t be sending them money

Any request by a person you have met on a dating site to wire transfer funds overseas should be raising alarm bells.